GTcarz - Automotive forums for cars & trucks. - 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII - What Evil-R Lurks This Way ***Pic's & Info***

Now this is a special treat. I mean, wow, what a lottery have our eyes just won? APR's Evo 8 is just the sort of car that gets you in the mood because damn, it's a sex machine. That red - it's so hot, right now. With a front end that pierces your eyes like Zoolander's Magnum, it captures you with its gaze and doesn't let go. Built for serious road racing competition, we had a first look at the Evil-R Evo at last year's SEMA show. Until then, we had never seen a US company, which placed forth so much effort and time into completing a project that rivals the likes of any Evo built by the Japanese. Even though it wasn't able to compete at our last Time Attack event, we felt that APR had a winner on its hands.

Since APR's main line of work is dedicated to crafting exterior carbon fiber pieces, it spared no expense on utilizing its full capabilities. A great example was the widening of the Evo by incorporating its wide body front bumper, 45mm front fenders (with wheel turbulence exhaust ports), wide body skirts, wide body rear door and 45mm fender combination, and wide body drag reduction rear bumper. For carbon detailing, the APR wind splitter, canards, side skirt splitters, Formula GT3 mirrors, rear diffuser, and 67-inch wide GTC-300 wing help to add some contrast while saving weight and offering improved aerodynamics. The only carbon piece not made by APR is the Seibon front hood and the rear taillights have been replaced with those from a JDM Evo VII.

As much as the bodywork stands out, the engine work further breaks the scale of impressiveness. The famed Diamond Star 4G63, which for years has gained worldwide reputation as being a highly tunable and potent power producer, was built by SP Engineering with a mega collection of HKS enhancements. The factory turbo was replaced with a GT3037S ball-bearing unit and within the powertrain itself; there are the 272-degree camshafts and 1.2mm metal head gasket to lower the engine's compression ratio.

Other much sought after bolt-ons include HKS' 700cc injectors, adjustable cam gears, Super Mega Flow intake, SSQV Blow-off valve, downpipe, and Hi-Power carbon titanium exhaust system. For further tuning, a Version 3.2 F-CON V Pro was used with an EVC PSI, while a Twin Power DLI II provides extra spark. In the cooling department, there's a Setrab oil cooler, a Nitrous Express N-Tercooler system sends a cold stream of nitrous to the HKS intercooler, bringing intake charge temperatures down and a custom 57mm PWR radiator, with special specs from Rhys Millen, which keeps the engine's overall temp low.